Minnesota Golden Gophers: 2026 Season Preview
Three national titles. Zero since 1964. Minnesota is a program that once stood at the summit of college baseball — Dick Siebert's dynasty won it all in 1956, 1960, and 1964 — and has spent six decades trying to find its way back. Ty McDevitt is in year three of a rebuild that asks whether a cold-weather program in the modern transfer portal era can recapture even a fraction of that legacy. The answer is not yet clear, but the foundation is being poured.
The Program
2025 Season Results
Season Highlights
Won 10 Big Ten games in a difficult transition year — kept competing despite the record
Brooks Lester hit .298 with 6 HR as the lineup's most consistent bat
Sam Ireland posted a 3.65 ERA as the Friday starter, showing frontline potential
Beat Michigan in a statement series win that showed the program's upside
Freshman class showed promise — five players earned at least 20 starts
2026 Roster Breakdown
Key returnees and transfer portal additions
Key Returnees
Brooks Lester
OF · Sr.The lineup's steadiest hitter. Patient approach, gap-to-gap power, and the kind of veteran presence a young team needs. Lester does not chase and rarely expands the zone.
Sam Ireland
RHP · Jr.Friday starter with a four-seam fastball that sits 91-93 and a curveball that can be plus. The record does not reflect the quality of his outings — run support was scarce.
Charlie Rudd
2B · So.Quick-twitch middle infielder with elite speed. His stolen base numbers led the team as a freshman. The bat is still developing, but the athleticism is evident on every play.
Jake Duer
RHP · So.Sophomore arm with a power sinker and developing breaking ball. Pitched in multiple roles — starter, long relief — and showed he could handle innings. The consistency needs to come.
Aaron Grinstead
1B · Jr.Physical first baseman with the most raw power on the roster. Swing-and-miss concerns limit the average, but when he connects, the ball leaves. A refining year could unlock a 15-homer season.
Transfer Portal Additions
Nolan Becker
SS · Jr.Defensive-first shortstop who brings Big Ten experience and a reliable glove. His on-base ability from the left side adds lineup balance.
Parker Mullenbach
LHP · Jr.Minnesota native coming home. Left-handed starter with a changeup that neutralizes right-handed lineups. Fills a critical rotation void.
Drew Berkland
OF/DH · R-Sr.Summit League Player of the Year candidate with legitimate power. The conference jump is real, but the bat speed and approach suggest he can handle Big Ten pitching.
Ty Saunders
RHP · So.Young arm with a lively fastball and sharp slider. Left Creighton looking for a bigger role and should get it immediately in Minnesota's thin bullpen.
Pitching Staff Analysis
The Headline
Sam Ireland (4-7, 3.65 ERA) is the Friday arm and the staff's identity. He has the stuff to pitch in the top half of the Big Ten rotation — the challenge is a team that cannot afford to waste his good starts with a lack of run support. Every Ireland outing matters because the margin is zero.
The Rotation
Parker Mullenbach (from Nebraska, 3.85 ERA) gives McDevitt a left-handed Saturday starter he did not have in 2025. Jake Duer (4.22 ERA) is the Sunday option, though his role may fluctuate between starting and long relief depending on how the freshmen develop. The rotation is functional but not deep.
The Depth
The bullpen was the Achilles heel in 2025 — a 5.85 ERA in relief tells the story. Ty Saunders (from Creighton, 3.48 ERA) adds a high-leverage arm. But Minnesota needs at least two more reliable relievers to emerge from the young arms. McDevitt is building a pitching culture, and the returns will come slowly.
Lineup Analysis
The Engine
Brooks Lester (.298, 6 HR) is the table-setter and the one hitter who consistently produces quality at-bats. His plate discipline sets the tone for a lineup that too often chased in 2025.
The Middle
Aaron Grinstead (.252, 7 HR) has the power to anchor the middle of the order if the contact rate improves. Drew Berkland (from NDSU, .315, 11 HR) is the highest-upside addition — a power bat who can legitimize the 4-hole. The middle of the lineup has more potential than it did a year ago.
The Supporting Cast
Charlie Rudd (.265, 22 SB) adds speed at the top or bottom of the order. Nolan Becker (from Iowa, .272, 15 SB) gives McDevitt another on-base threat. The lineup will not overwhelm anyone, but it should manufacture more runs than the 2025 version — which posted a team .248 average that was among the worst in the Big Ten.
2026 Schedule Highlights
Scouting Verdict
20–80 scouting scale
BSI Projection
Minnesota is a program with a Hall of Fame past and a present that demands patience. McDevitt is in year three, and the trajectory is visible even if the wins are not. Ireland gives the Gophers a legitimate Friday starter. Lester provides a veteran bat. The portal additions — Mullenbach, Berkland, Becker — add the kind of experience the roster lacked. But the bullpen is thin, the lineup has holes, and the Big Ten does not grade on a curve. This is a 27-to-30-win team that will be competitive in more series than the record suggests. The rebuild is not a one-year fix — it is a three-to-four-year arc, and McDevitt is in the middle of it.